Day 246: A Nail Salon

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Today I had my first pedicure since I moved to Holland 246 days ago! I didn’t really know where to find a place and so when Jen suggested we to go get our nails done, of course I said yes! I love when someone else has the idea and plan. I felt like I got a mini-day off from thinking and deciding.

We drove into Amsterdam and found parking near Rein, the spa place. We enjoyed a cup of tea and conversation while we were pampered. It was a lot of fun to have some girl time and to ponder life together.

What would we do without our girlfriends??

NOT cute feet, but happy, clean feet ready for the sun and sand.

26Mar2013

Day 244: Differences

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As I finally sat down to rest at the end of the day, I poured myself a cup of tea, and plopped into my comfy old rocking chair that I brought with me from California. I sat and looked at Facebook and played Words with Friends, while I thought about what to write today and waited for my kids to settle into their beds for the night.

I thought I was going to write about the differences in experiences when visiting a doctor in the USA and the Netherlands. But I changed my mind when I read the inscription on my tea bag.

My tea bag summarizes the connection we all have to one another, despite our differing beliefs.

Today I got to enjoy pictures of my Jewish friends celebrating Passover. On Facebook, I’ve been watching the debate on gay marriage. In Dutch class, we talked about Easter and Good Friday and recognized that in India and China, most people don’t celebrate or recognize this Christian holiday, however in Holland they celebrate the feast without the religious connection. Of course this isn’t 100% true for everyone, and this blog is definitely not a debate, but what it pointed out to me (which is obvious) and more to my point, is that there are several different ways to express love and our values and way of life. We all use different means to express the good in our souls, and if we’re all practicing how to make life sweeter and more enjoyable, shouldn’t we all benefit from the synergy we create from all our goodness? Celebrate our differences. Celebrate the love we create. And celebrate each other. One love.

Namaste.

25Mar2013

Day 243: Busy-ness

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One of the things I think I love most about our experience living abroad and away from our normal home, is the change in our normal, hectic, over scheduled life. It’s not that we’re not busy and doing things here, it just feels different and the pace feels slower and more relaxed and I’m trying to understand why.

The thought to write this post came from reading Barbara’s comment about how she liked reading my blogs and how I keep BUSY, which made me think…

We are all busy.

She knows a few of the things I am busy doing and experiencing that I chose to publicly share. But I don’t know a lot about what she’s doing or what you’re doing unless you tell me a story, post it on FB, instagram or tweet about it, or I’m there sharing the busyness with you. I love knowing what you choose to be busy doing and enjoying because I’m curious like that. We all get the same 24 hours a day, but our choices how we spend them each day are unlimited and unique. Isn’t that a crazy thought?

What are we busy doing? And is what we chose to be busy with all that important? And if we’re too busy are we really enjoying our busy-ness? Things that make you go hmmm…

I think the first reason it feels differently busy here for me is because we broke out of our routine and expectations. It’s kinda like we’re on a sabbatical from our Other life.

Secondly, when you’re all new to an area, you depend on each other more than you would at home with all of our different support networks. We tend to do more as one big group vs individually.

Third, all our kids are at the same school. This means one drop off time and one pick up. They also have all their after school activities at the school. There are buses that take the kids to their sport matches and bring them back again. When one child is practicing, there is a nice place to foster community at the school while waiting together in a comfortable, warm building while having a cup of tea and a snack together. I am not driving all over town and waiting and waiting. I think this is the biggest factor that changed.

Fourth, we have made friends with families with kids close in age to our own. When the kids play, so do the parents. It’s easy and fun and creates harmony.

This sabbatical is a great thing!

Today we were busy doing yoga, watching PB make sushi, building a bonfire and roasting marshmallows in the freezing and windy weather,

having a play date, and cooking Indonesian food…

Along with the usual chores like going to work, housecleaning and kid logistics. We were busy living it up! How were you busy today and did you have fun? Thanks BP for the thought!! xo

P.S. Happy Sweet 16th birthday to Sweet Caroline!! I love you!

24Mar2013

Day 242: The Red Light District?

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There are no photos or videos to share today, except this one:

I am in photo hell! I’ve taken way too many pictures (is that possible?) and haven’t edited or deleted many either and now everything is full. I’m out of disk space. My iPhoto library won’t take any more content and I have photos stored in a flat file structure and am trying to integrate them all to have them make sense and its taking hours and hours and hours! How did I get here and do you feel my pain? Do you have an easy solution? Please?!?

So while I was sitting here for hours all day and night with Jeff helping me to move, edit, delete and back up files, Charlie decided to sit next to me and look at YouTube videos for things to do together in Amsterdam tomorrow. I was happy that he was sitting near me and found something to do besides making noise and jumping up and down. All was good. The video was playing in the background and I was listening and multitasking, feeling proud that he searched and found a video with a list of exciting things to see and do in the heart of the city until I heard, “number 9. the red light district. just don’t take pictures of the ladies in the windows otherwise they may throw your camera in the canal.” I jumped away from my busy-ness and as I looked at what he was seeing, I saw flashes of red lights appear. Oh no! I grabbed the iPod out of his hands and turned off the video before he saw anymore. He was surprised and didn’t understand and said he hated when that happened. I’m pretty open with my kids but really don’t want them seeing that or even asking questions about it at the kitchen table. Yikes!

Back to the photo conundrum – taking pictures is to help us capture our memories from the past and that’s all great, but what happens when you’re trying to manage your past and package it into nice little receipts packaged into nice little albums with copies ready just in case you lose your package, but in the process you lose the present because you’re so busy remembering the past? What a dilemma. I struggle with that concept, but know I want to be able to look back one day to remember and share the journeys we have taken, explored and enjoyed.

I guess I have to borrow from the present, to pay to remember the past, so I can have the future benefit of being able to share our history. Huh. That’s weird. Boy, I’m exhausted now.

22Mar2013

Day 240: These Are a Few of My Favorite Things… Holland

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This weekend it will be one year since I began blogging. I’ve written every day since I began, without missing a day or making an excuse why not to write. Some days it’s been after midnight when I’ve finally posted my daily entry. Some times I fall asleep mid sentence and some nights I wake up and my post has posted magically on it’s own before I actually intended to send it, spelling errors and incoherent sentences and all. I’ve become passionate about writing and I’ve come to enjoy the practice of reflecting at the end of the day. I think it has helped me to be aware of living in the moment and being present because I know that I’ll want to have something meaningful to share when the day is done, and knowing that I “have” to share, kind of inspires me to LIVE IT UP. And hopefully you’re doing the same thing where you are on your yellow brick road, even if you’re not writing and sharing about it. How are you living the best life you can at this very moment?

Live it Up!

I found an expat blog community today (http://www.expatsblog.com/blogs/1882/here-i-am) and shared my blog with the Netherlands community, hoping that maybe my journey might help or inspire another family that sets out to do what we’re doing. They asked for contest submissions where you shared your top list about the country you write about. I spent this evening reflecting on a few of the many things and places I’ve loved so far while living in my new country. Here is the list:

TOP 25 WAYS TO ENJOY AMSTERDAM AND IT’S SURROUNDING CITIES

Come share Amsterdam with me – there is so much to see and love and spring is just around the corner. These are a few of my favorite things in no particular order.

1. Take a canal boat ride and explore the 400 years of canals. The Blue Boat Company is my favorite. http://www.blueboat.nl/imdex_en.html

2. Visit the House of Six – a private museum shared by the Six family featuring Jan Six’ friendship with Rembrandt. Make an online reservation here: http://www.collectiesix.nl/index.php/en/visit-collection-six

3. Bike ride through the Amsterdamsebos – and enjoy dogs playing, people running, rent a boat, play with the goats on the farm and eat a pancake with melted cheese and bacon at the Boerderij Meerzicht. http://www.boerderijmeerzicht.nl

4. Take a step back in time and visit the Zuiderzee where you can experience what life might have been like in the olden days. Walk through the fishing village, and cheese shops, discover what a gaper is, make a clog boat, sample cheese, make your own rope and more! http://www.zuiderzeemuseum.nl/

5. Make a friend with a farmer and learn how wooden clogs are made and sample cheese made daily on the farm. The farmer is playful and gives hands on tours and involves his guests to make it a meaningful experience. http://www.claramaria.nl/?lang=en

6. Wonder at the beauty and magic of the Keukenhof gardens. Spring time is supposedly magical with tulips carpeting the fields. At Christmas time, the gardens are transformed into a Christmas Market. http://www.keukenhof.nl/

7. Want to learn how to ski? Try indoor skiing with a private instructor for an hour or two at Snow Planet. Kids can ski and parents can sit behind the glass and watch and drink a coffee and have something to eat. http://www.snowplanet.nl/

8. Wander the quaint streets in Haarlem and maybe stop by the Corrie Ten Boom house and learn about the Hiding Place. http://www.corrietenboom.com/

9. Try enjoying a traditional Indonesian rice table at Sampurna in the Flower Market part of Amsterdam. http://www.sampurna.com/

10. Take the kids and enjoy being a kid yourself while exploring hands on science at the Nemo – science museum. Nemo http://www.e-nemo.nl/

11. If you’re lucky enough to be in town at the beginning of December, be sure to be present to see Sinterklass arrive by boat and the parade afterwards celebrating his arrival.

12. Ride your bike along the Amstel and enjoy sites of beautiful houses, row boats, windmills, and fields with cows.

13. Try standup paddling through the canals of Amsterdam for an upfront and different perspective of the city. http://www.mm-sup.com/

14. Visit a Friday market in Amstelveen where you can buy fresh meats, fish, cheese and rub elbows with the locals.

15. Stroll through the Albert Cuyp Street market – and enjoy fresh squeezed juices, flea market stands and fresh frites. http://www.albertcuypmarkt.nl/ac_english.html

16. Wander through Vondelpark and if you have small kids, stop by the Kinderkookkafe where kids can make their own food and have it cooked just the way they like it. You can rent bikes, roller blade, leisurely walk or run, people watch, sit for a leisurely lunch or play in a park. http://www.kinderkookkafe.nl/

17. Catch some sunshine when the weather warms up at the beach at the sea at Wijk aan Zee. We loved walking up and down the strand, looking for odd shaped shells, watching the birds dance in the sky and playing on the trampolines at one of the little beach front play areas. http://www.wijkaanzee.info/

18. Give yourself a rest while strolling around the city and have a drink and a snack while enjoying 360 degree rooftop view of Amsterdam from Blue. http://www.blue-amsterdam.nl/

19. Be a kid again and play with our without kids on the big rope swing in in Museumplein and take pictures on the I Amsterdam sign. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museumplein

20. Art, art, everywhere! Get yourself a museum card and pop into the Hermitage, Van Gogh, Rijksmuseum for an hour or two or three. With a museum card, you feel like you can visit for a short while or a long while http://www.museumkaart.nl/

21. Another fishing village to enjoy with old shops, photo booths, and souvenier shops is Volendam. http://www.vvv-volendam.nl/nl/welcome/

22. Watch the weather change hourly some days – sun, rain, clouds, snow, hail, and back again. And if the sun is out, all the Dutch locals are outside too, enjoying a pint of beer and maybe some bitterballen. There are lots of bars and outside tables to choose from in the Leidseplein. http://www.iamsterdam.com/en-GB/experience/about-amsterdam/areas/featured-areas/leidseplein

23. I love visiting the quaint towns and villages outside of Amsterdam like Naarden, Gouda and Delft, and Den Bosch, especially on the days when they have their street markets.

24. Visit the Dutch resistance museum that tells the history of the Dutch people during World War Two. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verzetsmuseum

25. And no visit to Amsterdam would be complete without a visit to the Anne Frank house. http://www.annefrank.org/

Hope you enjoy Holland as much as I do and get a chance to slow down and enjoy life with the locals.

Love,
Adriana

21Mar2013

Day 239: Amsterdam – The House of Six

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Feb 2014 – This has been one of my most visited pages. I hope that after you’ve visited, you might share your comments with me about what you liked and took away from your visit. All the best – Adriana

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today Jen organized a group of us to visit a private art collection in Amsterdam at the House of Six on the Amstel river next to the Herengracht. Thanks Jen for inviting me!

To learn more about this historic art collection, visit this website: http://www.codart.nl/news/755/
.

“The Six collection has its origins in the 17th century. Jan Six (1618-1700) a well-to-do magistrate and burgomaster was an avid collector and patron of the arts. His friendship with Rembrandt and Vondel has been well documented. The collection was further enriched by intermarriages. Six married Margaretha Tulp, daughter of Nicolaas Tulp in 1655, who brought many family heirlooms to the collection. Other families that are now represented in the collection thanks to marriages are the Hop, the Van Winter, the Teding van Berkhout and the Bosch Reitz family.

The collection has been handed down generations to the direct descendant of the first Jan Six, Jan Six (X) van Hillegom. It is a family collection of unprecedented wealth. The absolute highlight of the collection is Rembrandt’s Portrait of Jan Six, but the rest of the collection is of equally impressive quality.”

No photos were allowed, so I purchased this book after the tour was completed, as I was fascinated and my imagination was piqued. There were several reasons why I appreciated this exhibit.

First, it was a private, small tour in a private home where Jan Six the Tenth (X) still lives. While we were waiting for our tour guide, a gentleman walked in and peeked in our sitting room. I was curious who he was and smiled at him, while he made small talk and then introduced himself as Jan Six! This did it for me. To be in this man’s home, where he came downstairs and connected with us for a brief moment, when he didn’t have to, made the art and the history and the story of the paintings and art collection come to life. I paid attention to as many details as possible and was imagining being the 10th descendant of this famous and wealthy family. I wanted to know more and I was so glad he provided a human touch to this exhibit.

Every room in the house was ornately decorated. One room had leather art covering the walls. One wall had a complete canvas of a man on a horse filling up the entire space. There was a a story connected to every piece and because the art was presented this way, I could stay focused and engaged.

The greenhouse, the gardens and the home itself were just as interesting to me as the art exhibit. I loved learning about the family and their relationships in society. I definitely recommend setting up your own private tour when you visit Amsterdam.

At the end of the tour, Jan Six signed my book and dated it even too. I was so impressed. He insisted that we sign the guest book too, and mentioned that they had over 20 volumes dating back to the 1800s, and we were now part of the family history.

I asked him why he opened his home up and he said that no one who owned such a vast collection of art like he had should keep it to himself and not share it. By sharing it with the public, he is also able to avoid paying an inheritance tax to the Dutch government as part of an agreement. We also learned that his son, Jan Six the XI, is a private art dealer. What a lucky kid to grow up with a Rembrandt of his namesake in his house and to be able to appreciate art everyday, being surrounded by such famous pieces and having it as part of his legacy. He also studied to become an expert in his field.

I wonder what my kids will be someday… what are they surrounded by that they love? Who are their mentors? Hmm… more thoughts. It’s fun to be part of their journey and to one day see what they become. Such a mystery, isn’t it?

Namaste

20Mar2013

Day 238: AmsteRandom

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It is so cold today and to think that tomorrow is the first day of spring is crazy. I’ve somewhat adjusted to the cold, but being outside in it for several hours was just nuts! My hands and feet hurt from being numb and frozen. I’m just saying…

I’m happily riding the warm bus back to pick up the kids from school.

View of Olympic Stadium from the 170 bus.

The good part of wandering in the cold was being with friends, getting some exercise and seeing new random places in Amsterdam. I love this city almost as much as San Francisco.

Random mitten art in the Joordan.

Old man and his cat

In the Leidseplein, where the ice rink used to be, they are setting up the outdoor tables anticipating and wishing for warm spring weather and customers.

Building was taken over by squatters in the 1970s. The snake represents the squatters.

One of the smallest canal houses in Amsterdam is the middle red one.

Bike fishing.

Friends departing on their bikes, waving as they go.

Tot ziens!

13Mar2013

Day 231: 13-3-13 Wanderlust Wednesday

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Snow day and Sun day. Wanderlust fun day.

Woke up to snow this morning.

People like to talk about weather no matter what the condition. It’s something we all share.

Snow day and sun day all in one.

We brought our car in for servicing today. there were huge fluffy snowflakes falling but my camera couldn’t capture them. The customer service at the Honda dealer was excellent. It’s so nice to go in and out without a ton of fan fare. We had to sign one paper to get a loaner car and pay 30 euros for the rental. I am content and enjoyed testing out a hybrid car.

Afterwards, I went up to A’dam with Jeff this morning to help my friend in the States to get an official copy of her marriage certificate form the Amsterdam city hall, so that she could quickly renew her passport. It was an adventure trying to find a new place, but was easy too. The customer service was quick and polite and efficient and I was impressed. Basically you walk in, tell them what you’re there for and they give you a number. No appointment is necessary. They have an electronic monitoring system that calls out your number when the next attendant is ready to serve you. I think it took me 10 minutes to present my papers and walk out with a paid, signed, official document. I am impressed.

Having two tasks done early in the morning opened up my day to explore. First stop was the marketplace on Waterloo plein. I said goodbye to Jeff and wandered around the stalls, enjoying the swap meet vendors and their wares.

What a beautiful place for a swap meet!

It was an absolutely gorgeous day in the city! I wandered around snapping pictures and then wandered into the Hermitage Museum for awhile. Here are a few more pictures… Check out the sky and the light!! It was clear and crisp and cold, and I loved it!

The Hermitage Museum – flowers and courtyard outside the entrance.

And some beautiful thoughts from the Vincent Van Gogh museum walls…

“To give direction to our lives, we all have to make choices.”

“Practice makes perfect.”

“Getting better must come through doing it and through trying.”

Van Gogh was a master but never saw himself as that. He always felt like he was practicing and studying and learning. I like that idea and can relate that thinking to parenting. Aren’t we always practicing and studying and learning by doing? Hopefully we continue to get better and better.

Namaste. Hope you had a good day! -A.

11Mar2013

Day 229: Istanbul, Day 3 – And Home Again

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We like to travel and we like to go for a few days and then come home again. We pack as much as we can into 3 days and then we’re exhausted and ready to come home again. I wonder if this is a good travel strategy.

Today was our last day in Istanbul. We visited two fascinating landmarks,the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern, and walked through the gardens of Topkapi Palace. We visited and shopped at a unique pottery shop and brought home a couple colorful, handmade Turkish pieces. We got such a laugh out of the Turkish ice cream vendor who entertained us for several minutes on the street. Again, it’s the little things that bring such joy .

Prayer beads on the floor in the women’s only section of the Blue Mosque.

Part of the ceiling in the Blue Mosque.

The Underground Cisterns. It was dark and eerie, and really cool, especially with the fish swimming in the water. If you go, look for the Medusa heads.

The upside down Medusa head in the Cistern.

Colorful Turkish pottery.

Ice cream time.

Saying goodbye to our friends always makes me sad. Topkapi Palace Gardens.

But seeing this guy made me laugh! What the heck??

Back on the Amsterdam train to bring us home again.

We had a great trip with our worldly little travelers, and spending time together with our friends. I am thankful that we were able to see another part of our big, wonderful, diverse world.

Life is good.

7Mar2013

Day 225: Water + Yoga + SUP + Friends = Joy

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I look like a frog, but I’m a happy frog. This is what savasna looks like when you’re trying not to touch the freezing cold water.

Can you imagine doing yoga on the water? It’s the coolest feeling.

Imagine your gaze looking softly in front of you and a beautiful white swan is dancing on the water. Imagine looking up at the sky instead of a ceiling.
Imagine breathing in fresh air while focusing on one thing, your breathe.
And when you’re focused on your breathe, you’re not really worried about falling in.
And while you’re stretching and practicing, you get to enjoy the sounds of the water lapping at your board.

Mixing water play with yoga practice is awesome. I hope if this sounds interesting to you, that you will try it one day. You won’t be able to stop smiling.

After we were done doing yoga, we took that relaxed feeling out for a paddle together. I was in the moment, loving life, thankful to Morene for loving SUP and sharing her passion across Amsterdam. I was thankful to Deborah for teaching SUP yoga, and to Jeff for supporting my passion and letting me buy a new Boga board for Holland touring. I can’t wait to put my own in the water!